United States Politics: ∆τ_i*ε*φ*m_i<0 where ε=4 and φ=0.25

[HaughtyFrank]

It's fitting that Zohran Mamdani torpedoed his own campaign in the last week by caping for the slogan “globalize the intifada.”  Why are leftists so bad at politics?

I hadn't read up on this, and it's was funny (and unsurprising) to see that the Mamdani campaign first tried to deflect in the most ass way possible.

"It's not a hate term, because the word "intifada" is used in an arabic translation of a phrase in the US Holocaust Museum"

...what the fuck are you talking about?

That's like saying "Go back to Africa" isn't a hateful phrase because all of those words can be found in the dictionary. Everyone knows that candidates for high office are not retarded*, so why go for these obvious and easily knocked over deflections? 

"Durr, I just thought it was like a word you could use in any sentence." Get outta here, c'mon. 

Then he pivots to his best Rudy Guiliani impression with noun, verb, 9/11, islamophobia edition. Real deft political instincts there, buddy.

*more of a benefit of the doubt rather than actual, solid knowledge

I guess he really made his own bed there. You can't pretend that 'intifada' is a contextless word when the previous intifadas in Palestine meant stabbing people on the street and suicide bombings, anyone with a brain can see why it's a problematic slogan. Even Jews in New York who stand with Palestine might feel uncomfortable about people calling for a global intifada.

However he also can't disavow it because then he'd instantly lose support from his hardcore lefty backers who'd consider him apologizing for it an utter betrayal no matter how often reaffirms that he stands for a free Palestine.

The only winning move would have been to never say that shit in the first place. This is why politicians have PR